How the Brightline train will transform the Sunshine State — and its real estate

From the March issue: All Aboard Florida’s Brightline train service between Miami and West Palm Beach, scheduled to begin this summer, has the potential to be transformational for South Florida, local real estate experts agree.

“This will change the way travel and development and redevelopment occur in South Florida,” said Rick Gonzalez, president of REG Architects in West Palm Beach. “You can now work in downtown Miami and live in Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach.”

Brightline, which has been under construction for almost three years, also includes a stop in Fort Lauderdale and will ultimately be extended to Orlando as well.

Developers will benefit from the consumer traffic around the stations, said Arden Karson, senior managing director of CBRE South Florida, adding, “Brightline will … ultimately make these downtown areas much more attractive as a destination for residential, commercial and retail real estate investment and development.” [more]